The Voltage Exchange

Mastering

As a mastering service, our role is to bring a project from the mix environment to distribution using open communication, transparent exceptions, focused critical listening, and the right tools to make the music sound its absolute best.

Duncan Ferguson has mastered projects in every genre. His passion is critical listening and collecting reference recordings. As a result, he fell into mastering naturally. Whether it is preparing masters for digital release, compact disc, or pre-mastering for vinyl, Duncan has worked hard over the years to obtain the skills and knowledge to bring music into all listening applications.

Duncan holds a Masters Degree in Sound Recording from McGill University in Montreal Quebec.

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Reviews (1)

Top notch work. Turn around was very quick, and he nailed it on the first version. The song sounded like the song across all listening platforms (Monitors, headphones, phone, car, etc.) He did not color the mix, nor did he compress it into a 2x4. My client was thrilled with the results. I will definitely do more work with The Voltage Exchange in the future.

Interview with The Voltage Exchange

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: I would recommend Ryan Prewett as a producer and mix engineer in the Nashville area. Ryan presents consistent mixes and has an awesome combination of professionalism and congeniality that comes through in his projects.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog and digital both have strong benefits and downfalls. In coordination with the mix engineer, I choose what tool will work best for the project, whether it is digital or analog. I work hard to use the benefits from both mediums to let the project reveal what it needs.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: I will always give each project the time it needs to exceed the client's expectations.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: There is nothing like being the guy to bring a project into the real world with all of passion of the artists and engineers who worked on it along the way.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: Mastering is about more than just loudness. It's a finesse of the soundscape to bring out subtleties, create balance, and optimization for the final listening environment.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Find an engineer who shares a common philosophy. While gear is important to the project, a shared vision for the project is what can make or break the final result.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: Keep a keen ear when it comes to de-essing to allow for the best possible audio quality on your final product.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is focused critical listening. My father raised a mastering engineer without intent. I grew up listening to and analyzing all of the great audiophile albums. Dinnertime discussion at the table was just a precursor to my later academic pursuits. This early passion lead me to mastering putting my critical ear to good use.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I strive to create a transparency, preserving the vision and soundscape of the mix engineer and artist. In my opinion, by definition, my work should be the imperceptible difference between good and great.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My work process starts interviewing my client about the goal of the project. I always complete a pre-listen during which I dissect the song into simple components. From there I select an initial song (or two) that embodies the character of the project. I develop a general signal path that I feel will work for the entire piece. The signal path can be adjusted or new gear added based on the need of each part to create balance throughout. When I feel satisfied with the character of the project, I format it for release.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: While I have worked in music production areas like tracking and mixing, I specialize in mastering exclusively. If your project has tracking or mixing needs, I will be happy to connect you to with other professionals.